UPSC 2017-18: PIB Summary and Analysis Nov 06

Guru Ghasi Das was an advocate of the Satnami sect of Hinduism in the early 19th century.

He established Satnami community in Chhattisgarh, based on “Satnam” (meaning “Truth”) and equality. The Guru’s teachings and philosophy is similar to Hinduism & Buddhism.

Guru Ghasidas was a remarkable social reformer among the dispersed community of this region almost 200 years ago.

He struggled against social evils and injustice, and fought for the poor and downtrodden.

His message was simple: that truth and noble conduct are synonyms for God. He made efforts to eliminate the practice of untouchability, and emphasised fraternity and social harmony.

He also stressed women’s rights and supported widow marriage.

Context

President of India visits Guru Ghasidas Jaitkham at Girodhpuri in Chhattisgarh

Instrument Landing System (ILS)

Instrument Landing System (ILS) is defined as a precision runway approach aid based on two radio beams which together provide pilots with both vertical and horizontal guidance during an approach to land.

It enables aircraft to land if the pilots are unable to establish visual contact with the runway

ILS provides the necessary guidance to pilots as they approach for landing at the runway.

Context

Commissioning of new Instrument Landing System at Chennai International Airport

The new ILS will facilitate smooth landing of the aircrafts at Chennai Airport even during rain, low clouds, smog etc. and provide an improved guidance to the Aircrafts.

The new system uses a highly directional antenna system – “Wide Aperture Log Periodic Antenna Array [LPDA]” This antenna system has addressed the coverage restrictions of the old ILS, and will provide guidance to the aircraft to a much lower height and improved precision. This is turn will enhance the safety of the aircraft during landing

Paradise Papers

“Paradise Papers”, as they are being called by a collective of international journalists is a clutch of records and internal communications from Bermuda’s Appleby and Singapore’s Asiaciti.

Paradise Papers files reveal holdings of political leaders and other powerful individuals in companies that are set up outside the owner’s country.

Who are Appleby and Asiaciti?

Appleby and Asiaciti are among the “corporate army” that help companies and individuals set up businesses, make investments and carry out financial operations.

Such firms usually specialise in law, chartered accountancy and banking.

Data from Appleby and Asiaciti were obtained by German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which shared it with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

What do they reveal?

Paradise Papers reveal records of financial transactions of individuals who have stakes in companies outside India or have set up the same in countries that have no or minimal tax rates.

One must know that it is not necessarily wrong to set up offshore companies as India has double-taxation avoidance agreements with several countries with lower tax rates than its own. Companies can use the required certification for legally transacting in those countries.

However, according to the papers, many offshore companies are fake entities engaged in tax evasion/avoidance, manipulation of the market, money laundering, round tripping (taking untaxed money out of the country through inflated invoices and then bringing it back as an investment), parking black money, bribing, etc.

What Are Offshore Companies?

A company is any legal entity participating in business activities, such as a proprietorship, partnership, or corporation either public or private.

Offshore is a term that means outside one’s own jurisdiction. Generally, offshore companies are incorporated in countries with relatively lower tax rates than the country in contention.

People Involved in India

India ranks 19 out of the 180 countries represented in the data in terms of the number of names. In all, there are 714 Indians in the tally including names of several BJP and Congress leaders

UMI Conference -Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs

Surat gets Best City Bus Services Award of Government of India for attracting 87% of private vehicles and auto rickshaw users

Mysuru gets Best Non-Motorised Transport Award for its Public Bicycle Sharing

Awards for Best Urban Transport Practices announced by Central Government at UMI Conference in Hyderabad

Chintan Shivir

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), organized ‘Chintan Shivir’ to bring together key stakeholders from Government, NGOs and private sector to deliberate on the 5 key areas of school education i.e.

Digital Learning,

Physical Education,

Life Skills in Education,

Value Education and

Experiential Learning.

The main aim of the workshop is to provide holistic education relevant for 21st century India

India-Latvia relations are characterised by regular exchanges of visits. Coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Latvia, the visit of PM Kučinskis represents a historic milestone in India-Latvia relations.

PM Kučinskis met Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi the two Leaders focused on building closer cooperation in the areas of trade & investment, food processing, and culture among others. India’s economic ties with Latvia have strengthened in recent years with growing awareness about the prospects in food processing sector as well as other opportunities in the infrastructure sector.